Senior’s Supplement

If you are a low-income senior and receive:

Old Age Security (OAS)

Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) allowances

You may be able to get a monthly payment from the B.C. government to top-up your federal income. You might also be eligible for this payment if you’re age 60 – 65 and receive the federal spouse’s allowance.

The B.C. government calculates the payment based on how much financial assistance you get from OAS and GIS. These amounts depend on the income you reported on your income tax the previous year. If you’re eligible, you’ll start to get the Senior’s Supplement one month after your first OAS/GIS payment.

You don't need to apply. Payment is automatic.

Resident Requirement

You must be a permanent resident of B.C. to receive the Senior’s Supplement. You can vacation out of the province for up to six months and continue to get your payment during this time. If you are leaving B.C. permanently, you'll need to:

You are also able to continue receiving the payment if you move into a long term care facility.

Rates

Depending on your OAS/GIS monthly amounts, you could receive:

$1.00 – $49.30 for single seniors

$1.00 – $120.50 for senior couples

$1.00 – $49.83 as a spouse receiving the federal OAS allowance

Payment is automatic. It will be sent to you each month in the same way you receive OAS/GIS.

Retroactive Payments and Adjustments

Your OAS/GIS monthly amounts could change if your income changes. You could get retroactive payments and/or adjustments to your Senior’s Supplement payment. Let Service Canada know if your:

Marital status changes

Income from these sources changes:

Employment earnings

Retirement pensions

Canada Pension Plan or Quebec Pension Plan

Alimony

Private disability payments

Service Canada will notify the B.C. government of these changes.

How to Request a Retroactive Payment

Give the Senior’s Supplement Program confirmation of your monthly OAS/GIS payments. This is a document you can get from Service Canada. It must show the monthly OAS/GIS payment breakdown for each month that you request retroactive payments.

If you’re eligible for retroactive payments, the money will be added to your next payment.

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